USA > West Virginia > Preston County > A History of Preston County, West Virginia, V. 2 > Part 15
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Millard Filmore Chorpenning, born one year after his father settled here, has always lived on the old home place. Like his father before him, he is an educated man and has turned it all to the account of an agriculturalist. February 2, 1885, he was married to Nancy J. Waddell, from which union were born seven boys and one girl. Alonzo J., the eldest, was born June 24, 1885. He is married, and by his wife, Ettie Kissenger, became the father of two children: Mary, now dead, and Arthur Blaine. They live at Green Ridge, Maryland. (2) Charles W., born in 1887. He died in infancy. (3) Walter Elmo, born in 1889. He is an electrician at Connellsville, Pennsylvania. (4) Lloyd S., born in 1891, is now completing a course of study in the Normal College at Shepherdstown, West Virginia. He has taught school two terms. (5) Homer O., born in 1893, is a teacher in Fayette county, Pennsylvania. (6) Henry Ward, born in 1895, is a bricklayer in Con- nellsville, Pennsplvania. (7) Creed Mckinley, born in 1897, is an electrician at Connellsville, Pennsylvania. (8) Lucy A., born March 30, 1900, now in school.
Mr. Chorpenning was road-supervisor several terms, but his atten- tions are directed solely to farming and stock raising, at which he has been eminently successful.
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HON. JOHN NELSON BAKER
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HON. JOHN NELSON BAKER.
Among men of great usefulness and who stood ever ready to extend help and encouragement to others, and for every worthy enter- prise in Preston county, was the well known and highly public spirited citizen of the state, as well as our county, the Honorable John Nelson Baker of Independence. He was born April 26, 1850, on a farm near Marquess this county, was reared a farmer, taught school six terms, elected a member of the Legislature two terms, and before his death became a great business man in that larger sense, which dis- tinguishes enterprises of that higher order. He was a son of Joseph G., and Sarah A. Baker, and died Tuesday, March 16, 1909. At the time of his decease, papers of both the state and county commented- at length on the moral and business qualities of Mr. Baker, voicing the sentiments of the community in which he lived, and in terms of the strongest kind. From all sources he is spoken of as one of the best citizens of the county and state, and held during his lifetime many positions of honor and trust.
Mr. Baker was educated in the common schools of the county, and at West Virginia College at Flemington, and thereafter gave up farm- ing, for a time, to become an educator. He was twice married. His first wife, Ellen Waker, died April 21, 1884. They were married April 27, 1873. The children by this union were: (1) Guy W., born February 8, 1874. He married Margaret J. Mason, December 24, 1896. Their children were Kate and Hugh. They live in Grafton. (2) Ada Grace Baker, born October 10, 1876, married H. D. Forman, October 14, 1896. One child, Nelson, became the fruit of this union. They live in Fairmont.
The second marriage of Mr. Baker occurred October 22, 1885, to Miss Laura, daughter of John W. and Martha E. Graham. The wedding ceremony took place at Grafton, West Virginia.
John Lewis was a native of Loudoun county, Virginia. He was a blacksmith, and lived for a time at Memphis, Missouri, but came back to Grafton where he died in 1904, at the age of seventy-five years.
After marriage, the young couple took up their residence on the farm now owned by Frank Bucklew, and lived there until 1901, when they moved to Evansville, the place of his death, and where Mrs. Baker still lives.
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Mr. Baker owned a mill and store in Evansville, and operated both from 1901 to 1906, when a flood on July 17th, that same year, destroyed both. Three children were born to this second union, namely, Ray B., who first saw the light of day on January 7, 1889; and Olive was born June 12, 1902. A child who died in infancy, born November 28, 1886, and died April 4, 1890.
Mr. John Nelson Baker distinguished his career in life, not only as a member of the House of Delegates to which he was elected, first in 1898, then again in 1900, and where he served with much credit to himself and constituents in that position; but as an agent for many years of B. F. Young Company, who owned 20,000 acres of valuable coal, mineral and timber lands in the state of West Virginia. These lands were practically in one body, but extended over portions of Preston, Tucker and Barbour counties. This syndicate, belonging in England, put their possessions into the hands of Mr. Baker, who being trusted absolutely as to their sale and disposition, sold every foot of them. Of those splendid properties we have now the Austen Coal & Coke Company, and many timber tracts that have been and are now being cut.
Fraternally Mr. Baker was quite prominent in Masonic circles, having received all the honors of the order as far as the Shriners' degree. He was a member of the Aurora Lodge. No. 43, Newburg} DeMolay Commandary No. II, of Grafton, and Copestone, Chapter No. 12; Royal Arch Masons, also of Grafton.
Two sisters and one brother survive Mr. Baker. They are Mrs. Sarah Bonafield and Mrs. William Walter of Grafton, and Dr. N. H. Baker of Gellette, Wyoming. The wife of M. M. Jeffreys, now dead, was another sister.
M. H. PROUDFOOT, M. D.
This prominent and successful physician and surgeon has been engaged in the practice of his profession for the past twenty-five years. He was born in Taylor county, Virginia, August 20, 1860. His father was also born in that county, and there learned the carpenter trade, subsequently settling in Grafton, where he was employed by the B. & O. R. R., for thirty-seven years. He entered the employ of the company as a carpenter, and in a few years was promoted to that
M. H. PROUDFOOT, M. D.
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of passenger car foreman until the year 1884, when he was transferred to Baltimore, Maryland, where he was made general foreman of all pas- senger car repairs at Camden station and Baileys. He resided in Bal- timore until 1900, when he was retired and placed on the pension list of the Baltimore & Ohio Relief Department. Mr. Proudfoot was mar- ried in Taylor county to Miss Emily Freeman, who was born in Vir- ginia, November 30, 1842. Her father, William Freeman, was one of the pioneers of this state. She was a woman of great Christian character, ever ready to help the needy. She was of poor health herself, and died suddenly in Rowlesburg, West Virginia, May 23, 1911. Three sons and one daughter were born to the above mentioned union, Dr. M. H. Proudfoot, Rowlesburg, West Virginia; Mrs. R. F. Menefee, Wellington, Kansas; G. F. Proudfoot, Franklin, Pennsylvania; E. J. Proudfoot, Rowlesburg, West Virginia. Dr. Proudfoot received his primary education in the public schools, and later, unaided by others, took a commercial course. Still later he began the study of medicine at Grafton, West Virginia, with Dr. Thomas Kennedy, one of the celebrated physicians of northwestern Virginia, with whom he re- mained until the death of the latter. After this he was with Dr. Grant, also of Grafton, until he began attending lectures at the Starling Medical College of Columbus, Ohio, during the winter of 1880-81. After taking his first course of lectures, in the following spring he was appointed clerk on the railway route between Grafton and Wheeling, and continued in that business for about one year, but at the same time pursued the study of medicine. Later he returned to Starling Medical College and graduated in the class of 1884, after which he began practicing at Rowlesburg, where he remained until the fall of 1886. From there he went to Kendall, Kansas, but after several years returned to Rowlesburg, where he resumed the practice of medicine, whiich he has continued successfully since that time. He also engaged in the drug business for a number of years, and did a good business until quite recently when he sold out his store and all interests therein and confined himself strictly to his profession. Dr. Proudfoot is a member of the County and State Medical Societies, American Medical Association, Baltimore & Ohio Railway Surgeons' Association. The doctor was appointed a member of the State Board of Health in 1904, and served four years.
Dr. Proudfoot was married in Baltimore, Maryland, June 29, 1897, to Miss Lida D. Sawtelle, a native of West Virginia, who was reared and educated in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her father, William Sawtelle,
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had been a resident of New Orleans many years, and is still living. To Dr. and Mrs. Proudfoot was born one child, Eva. She was born in Colorado.
Dr. and Mrs. Proudfoot and their daughter are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Rowlesburg, and the former is a member of the Terra Alta Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, The Chapter, a Knight Templar, he holding membership in Grafton, is a member of Osiris Shrine of Wheeling, West Virginia. Dr. Proudfoot has been a resident of Rowlesburg for twenty years, and has been one of the active and public spirited citizens and successful business men of that city.
Dr. Proudfoot is well known to the profession over the entire state as a successful physician, and he and his family are highly respected. He is also surgeon for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Morgantown and Kingwood Railroad and The Alpha Portland Cement Company.
BALTIMORE & OHIO RAILROAD.
A History of Preston County or of West Virginia to be complete must give recognition to the railroad as a powerful agency in the development and commercial expansion of the State and particularly the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which has been so intimately connected with the growth of the county.
When the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad extended its tracks across northern Virginia to Wheeling in 1852, that vast expanse of territory, afterwards admitted to the Union as West Virginia, was for the most part an unexplored and sparsely-settled region possessing few advantages in a commercial way. The untold wealth of the State was undreamed of in those times; and it remained for the railroad, as the pioneer, to blaze the way for the future prosperity of the State and Nation by pro- viding a highway of commerce for the country's trade.
The completion of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to Wheeling, in 1852, establishing a connecting link between the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and Ohio River (to be followed by boat and rail connection with the Mississippi at St. Louis in 1874), was an event which inaugurated perhaps the most important epoch in the history of the world's commerce. It revolutionized the business
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View of the three-track line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Preston County, showing the open cut which has taken the place of McGuire's tunnel.
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of modern times by demonstrating the practicability of a system of rapid transportation which stimulated the commercial affairs of all nations.
Since the eventful day, when the railroad stretched its lines of commerce across the State, West Virginia and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad have been joined in a bond of commercial union, continually strengthened through years of intelligent co-operation and have shared the fortunes which have crowned the united efforts of com- monwealth and transportation system for mutual advancement.
Before proceeding further, it would probably be propitious to revert to the circumstances which brought about the determination to project the railroad through the State. From Revolutionary days until the middle of the nineteenth century, the commerce of the country was carried on principally by the slow method of water transporta- tion, and in sections removed from the natural routes recourse was to turnpikes and pack trains. As a consequence business activity was confined to seaport and river towns. Wheeling, by reason of its geographical location, was the principal river town west of the Alle- ghenies at the time and was one of the leading centers of trade of the vast country now comprising the Central West.
Among the states and cities of the East the keenest rivalry existed for commercial supremacy in western trade, particularly between New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Canals were built for extending commerce. Maryland, in furthering its interests in the way of trade, had built the Chesapeake and Ohio west to Cumebrland, but despite this enterprising move it was realized in Maryland that her sister states were encroaching upon the western business.
Baltimore was even at that early day the center of trade of Mary- land, and commerce with Wheeling was conducted by means of long trains of "Conestoga" wagons which crossed the Allegheny Moun- tains by turnpike. The tonnage hauled in this way was small and the time' consumed in the journey long. Rates for the service performed were high.
Teamsters employed on the National Pike brought wonderful tales to Baltimore of the Eldorado beyond the Alleghenies, as narrated by drivers whom they met from western divisions of the pikes. In time these stories reached the ears of the Baltimore business men and mer- chants, sharpening their desire to solve the problems of commerce in a way which would win back the trade rightfully belonging to Maryland.
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Experiments in hauling coal and stone from mines and quarries having been made in England, the indomitable Marylanders after in- vestigating this method of transportation, decided to build a railway line from Baltimore to Wheeling which would regain the lost trade. This was the inception of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which, as the name implies, was to connect the Maryland metropolis with the western river. Strange to relate, however, not a single member of the committee that made the announcement had ever crossed a moun- tain range, consequently they knew little of the difficulties to be encountered in the construction of a railroad in such a region.
On February 12, 1827, a meeting was held by a number of bankers and business men at the residence of George Brown, a prominent banker of Baltimore, to discuss plans for building the railroad ; and as a result of the meeting a petition was sent to the Maryland legislature for a charter for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, the capital stock of which was fixed at $5,000,000. The charter was granted without delay on February 27, and April 23 of the same year an organization meeting was held which elected Philip E. Thomas president of the Company, and a board of directors was also chosen.
The Virginia legislature confirmed the course of the Maryland assembly within a week after the action of the Maryland legislature in granting the charter and granted the railroad company authority to lay its tracks through what is now West Virginia. Plans for construction were begun immediately and on July 4, 1828, Charles Carroll of Carroll- ton, the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, laid the cornerstone.
The railroad was built to Ellicott Mills, Md., in 1830, and the fol- lowing year reached Frederick, Md.
When it had been demonstrated beyond peradventure of a doubt that the railroad was practicable, opposition arose from those financially interested in the canal. Securities of the water route began to depreciate in value and litigation beset the railroad on all sides. Injunctions were obtained against the railroad when it reached Point of Rocks, because of alleged interference with traffic on the canal, the contention being that locomootives would scare mules drawing the packets. Complications involving priority of right of way also arose. In this dispute the attorneys for the railroad were Roger Brooke Taney, afterwards Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; Daniel Webster and Reverdy Johnson.
The railroad was extended to Harper's Ferry, then in Virginia, by
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Kingwood Tunnels, showing three track tunnel system of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad through Kingwood Mountain in Preston County, looking west from Tunnelton. The double-track tunnel to the left was completed May 27, 1912, at cost of approximately $1,500,000.
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January 1, 1834. In 1837 the Virginia legislature subscribed $300,000 towards the expense of construction, an agreement having been reached to build the line through what is now West Virginia until within a few miles of Cumberland. The railroad reached Cumberland, 172 miles west of Baltimore, in November, 1842. Construction was then suspended until the fall of 1848, when Thomas Swann of Balti- more' became president of the Company. Work was immediately re- sumed on the road west of Cumberland and on June 5, 1851, the line was opened to Piedmont.
Preston County was reached by the railroad early in 1852. Enter- ing the County near Corinth, construction was pushed rapidly through Terra Alta, Rowlesburg, Tunnelton, Newburg and Hardman to Grafton. President Swann then promised the investors that through rail connections would be established by January 1, 1853; and that no time would be lost, gangs were started building the line from Wheeling towards Fairmont to meet the construction westward.
Progress on the line east from Wheeling was slow because of the fact that materials had to be hauled through unbroken mountains. The rails used on the road were rolled at Mt. Savage, Md., and were hauled overland to construction gangs on the west end. The track forces met with their work at Roseby's Rock on December 24, 1852, marking the completion of the road by driving a gold spike into the ties. Roseby's Rock derived its name from Roseby Carr, the man in charge of the construction gangs, and at the banquet in Wheeling to celebrate the completion of the road it was facetiously said that Carr "had acted as the parson at the nuptials of the Ohio and Chesapeake Bay and his men assisted at the courtship."
The first through trains from Baltimore to Wheeling left the Maryland city on January 10, 1853, having on board President Swann and the directors of the road; George Brown, first treasurer; Benjamin H. Latrobe, chief engineer who built the road; his brother John H. B. Latrobe, first general counsel; Governor Lowe, of Maryland, Governor Johnson of Virginia, a delegation of members of the legislatures of these states and prominent men of affairs in the east.
Passing through the hill country of Preston county, the distinguished party arrived at Wheeling on January 12, 1853, where a gala celebration that lasted several days was begun. As a fitting close of the festivities a banquet was tendered to the visitors by their Wheeling hosts as a testimonial of the friendly commercial relations which had been fos-
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tered by a union in their commercial relations between the East and West.
For northern Virginia the railroad meant the dawn of a new era in business which, continuing to the present time, is responsible for the position occupied by West Virginia among the leading industrial states of the country. It placed the territory in direct communication with the markets of the country, and the superior transportation facilities encouraged the investment of capital in the development of West Virginia industry. Before the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was built, Wheeling and Parkersburg were the leading trade centers of the West Virginia territory, enjoying the geographical advantage of prox .. imity to the Ohio River ; therefore inland districts eastward shared only superfcially in the business of the difficulties of hauling across the mountains.
With the advent of the railroad new towns sprang up, settlers following the railroad and locating in the sections then undeveloped. Keyser, Piedmont, Terra Alta, Grafton, Clarksburg and Fairmont took their places as business centers. When capital was forthcoming, new lines of railroad were built to reach the coal ,oil and lumber regions of the State. Among these roads, many of which are now embraced in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad System, were the Northwestern Virginia Railroad, from Grafton through Clarksburg to Parkersburg; the West Virginia and Pittsburgh Railroad, from Clarks- burg to Richwood; the Monongahela Railroad from Fairmont to Clarks- burg; the Grafton and Belington Railroad, from Grafton to Belington ; the Point Pleasant, Buckhannon and Tygart's Valley Railroad, from Buckhannon to Pickens; the West Virginia Short Line Railroad, from Clarksburg to New Martinsville; the Ohio River Railroad, from Wheeling, through Parkersburg to Huntington, and the Huntington and Big Sandy Railroad, from Huntington to Kenova.
The original line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to Wheeling was a single track road and its construction through the mountainous country presented many engineering problems. The science of engineer- ing was largely in the experimental state in those early days, so in pushing the construction work across the mountains it became necessary to follow the course of least resistance. The single track line when built was wholly adequate to handle the business, but the growth of commerce and industrial development of the State taxed the facilities beyond capacity. Betterments were made when finances would per- mit, tracks were added and larger terminals were provided, until a
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SCENE IN OAK PARK ON M. & K.
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STRETCH OF FINE TRACK ON M. & K. AT REEDSVILLE, W. VA.
CHEAT RIVER, MORRIS PARK.
SCENE ON M. & K.
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larger percentage of the main line mileage within the state was double track.
Even these facilities became inadequate to handle the traffic orig- inating in West Virginia for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and there was urgent need for increased facilities. On January 15, 1910, President Daniel Willard assumed charge of the road and before two weeks had elapsed a committee of West Virginia citizens visited the chief executive of the railroad to urge that additional facilities be provided. The conference was held in Baltimore and Mr. Willard gave the ship- pers assurance that their request would be complied with. He outlined to them a program of improvements which would increase the hauling capacity of the railroad by fifty per cent, including the construction of a third track on the mountain slopes to prevent congestion and the purchase of new cars and locomotives. The promises of President Willard have been fulfilled and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad is well equipped to handle with dispatch the traffic offered to its rails.
The transformation accomplished on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in so short a time was nothing less than marvelous and has attracted widespread attention of the shipping public and railroad world. The construction of the third track involved the relocation of line, reduction of grades, elimination of tunnels, construction of sub- stantial bridges capable of handling the heaviest of trains, the pur- chase of locomotives of the most powerful type, freight cars of maxi mum capacity and modern passenger equipment.
The betterment work as outlined by President Willard has in- volved the expenditure of about $70,000,000.
A large share of the track improvement work has been made in Preston County, though the reader will probably be interested in a brief reference to the general program of improvements.
The improvements extend over the main line of the road in West Virginia from the eastern extremity of the State to Grafton. A third track has been built from Sir John's Run to Great Cacapon, a distance of five miles, giving a continuous third track from Hedgesville to Orleans Road, 34 miles ; and automatic block signals have been installed to insure the safe handling of trains in this section where traffic is especially dense. Over Sir John's Run and Great Cacapon River stone arch bridges have replaced steel structures, the structure at Great Cacapon providing for four tracks. The plan is to eventually close the gaps and make a continuous third track from Cherry Run to Cumber- land, a distance of 65 miles.
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West of Cumberland the first extensive improvement work was made between Bloomington and Bond, on the eastern slope of the Alleghenies, where the first tunnel elimination was undertaken. The tunnels provided insufficient clearance for the monster motive power now in use in the mountain regions, and it was deemed most expedient to eliminate them entirely by converting them into open cuts. Everett tunnel 493 feet long, was eliminated and an open cut substituted. Several miles west of Everett the third track between Swanton and Altamont was extended for two and half miles to provide for train movement on the mountain slope. This work included the extension of three structures over Crab Tree Creek and additional facilities at Swanton and Strikers Station.
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